Apparatus for removing liquid residues from tanks, pipe systems, and the like



May 21, 1929.

J. MULDER ET A APPARATUS LFOR REMOVING LIQUID RESIDUES FROM TANKS, PIPE SYSTEMS, AND THE LIKE 5 Filed NOV. 23 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 21, 1929. MULDER ETAL 1,713,910

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING LIQUID RESIDUES FROM TANKS, PIPE SYSTEMS, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 23', 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J5 L3 F166. 16 1/ 7 i2 19 flflijl Y". W :I 1| a K11 i; 11 .22 L M Q ,1-- J z 4/ ML *m wdm too dangerousand'itw' 'begenerally nece's Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STA .m xon momma AND mm:

TE-s PATENT car es.)

cnnrsrmm ENDERT, .13., or norrnnnm, NETHERLANDS;

APPARATUS Ion. movme-monm 'nnsmunsr'nom ranks, PIPE summits, j I nuns 1.11m,

Application filed November 23 1926, Serial N0. 1 50,362, and in Germany November 23, 1 925.

This invention refers to apparatus for removing liquid residues from tanks, pipe systems and the like such as petroleum and benzme. Y

In most tank ships for carrying oils and the like, it often occurs that after the liquld has been removed from the tanks by pumps, owing to the slightly slanting position of the ship, thesuction mouth'of the suction pipe becomes obstructed by the residues of the liquid left behind. I

"Therge are but few tank-ships which are so well equipped that these final oil or benzine residues can be removed by means of the pumps. It is, therefore, necessary in such cases to Wait until these benzine residues have been vaporized or else theliquid must be re- 7 moved by means of buckets. In either case the process is laborious and in the latter case even dangerous.- v An object of this invention is'to provide apparatus including an ejector for removing. from tanks the residual gases and also the liquid residues.

In using the ejector, it is undesirable, so as to prevent any damage to the tanks, to ap-' ply a higher vacuum than that equal to a water column of a'few meters. .By-using the device according to the. invention it is even possible, with the aid of a very low vacuum to also remove, the liquid residues from the tanks. 3

In applying the invention it is possible, under the conditions described, to rapidly remove the liquid residues without it being necessar to open the-closing cover of the tanks. ith the aid of the-device according to the invention, the liquid is firstsucked'up with theaid of the ejector to a certain height in the suctionpipe. Then by suddenly ad-. mitting steam pressure into'the suction pipe, the liquid is forcibly driven out'of the suction pipe and immediately after the ejector is again put in operation, then, owingto the great speed with; which the air flows in, a whirling motion is set up around the suction mouth in consequence of which amixture' of liquid and air is formed whichis carried away through the ejector. In'most cases, for instance, the ship isfin a harbour, it .will be impossible 'toeject the sucked up liquid in this manner into the o n. This would be sar for the benzine to be gasified and .neu- .tra izedfiby steam.

The mixture of l'quid and air sucked up in the manner above by the ejector into a special container'in which the steam separates from liquid is left behind.

scribed can be removed the liquid and the If the liquid collected-in the container is e to be gasified and neutralized by the steam,

.then, it can be brought back into the suction pipe through a pipe which connects-thecontamer with the suction pipe during the suction process (when the connection between ejector and container is interrupted) through a speclally devised arrangement for the pur- .pose in a finely divided condition and conducted mto the open with the gas sucked up from the principal tank through the ejector.

The invention is illustrated byway of ex} ample in the accompanying drawing.

Fig, 1 shows the eomplete arrangement. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement on a smaller scale fitted on a tank ship. \Y

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 jare similar longitudinal sections through the control valve, and illus tratmg the several} operative portions thereof. v I V g.

In the arrangement illustrated in the drawing, 1 is the ejector, 2 is the suction pipe, which ends at a short distance above the bottom 3 of the ship-tank and is fitted with a suction mouthpiece 4. The pipe for the admission e5 of the steam is indicatedby 5', whilst 6 isthe a. Afreeoutfiow of the steam coming'from 1 the ejector and of the gases intothe outer atmosphere. r V 6. Complete closinglof'the steam outlet in the liquid carried away is directed downwards--- .95 which case,'by the admission'of steam. into: the ejectqr, the suction pipe 2 is brought under steam pressure. v

in the cock 7 'and discharged into a special container 8 whiehwill be referred'to later' and in which the liquid remains, whilst-the gases escape through the outlet pipe 9.

'Now,jif, 'in atank, the'suction pipe is immersed in the liquid residue and it is therefore impossibleto free the said tank from inthrough the three .under indicated: Position aE-Where the outlet of the e ector f The'cock or rotary valve 7 turned rapidly successive positions hereuis op'enrand the liquid under the influence of h eight in the suction tube 2.

. flow out ofthe ejector, but

,the outfiowing steam is sucked up.to a certain Position b.'Where the outlet from the ejector'is closed and consequently the steam under pressure flows into the suction pipe 2, drives out theliquid therein contained and the latter spreads on the slanting bottom of the tank. I

e steam can again pipe 2, 1n consequence of which a powerful away through the ejector,

lnthg's to gasify ,these residues-with the suction of the tainer8 through current of air and gas, which carries away a large-quantity of liquid, is created. and the closing of .thesuction pipe by the liquid is prevented. 'Then, thesucked up air or gas and liquid mixture, after it has been carried is conveyed together with the ejector steam into the container 8. The liquid remains in the container whilst the steam and the gases carried away with it are conve ed intothe open by the outlet pipe 9 provlded as above; r In cases where a considerable quantity of liquid'is present in the tank which may stop the. suction pipe at the lower-end, it is neces sary to repeat the process above described. Very largequantities of liquid are conveyed. manner through the suction pipe into the container 8, f i

- Theseliquid residues sucked up from the bottom of the tank are usually of little value?- and are of small commercial Importance.

. 'In most casesit will, therefore,

the others. bringing back during gases, through the ejector mto the suction pipe, the liquid in the conan atomizer 24, provided in the pipe 10 (which pipe connects the'oon trainer 8 with .the suction ve it into the atmosphere with the gases suck upfrom the main tank...

The ooc'k'orrotar valve which serves to produce the aforesaid suction pipe 2' andthe This can be efl'ected by container 801 the out- 7 let pipe 6 is re resented on a larger scale in Figs. 4, 5,6.

. 9 a ing of this cock is i t W whilst 111's the actual plug of th cook, the upperextension of WlllCh 12,-"b means of a'stufling box 13 is darried through the outer wall? and connected with a hand lever 14 with which therotary plug or cock 11 is. brought to the different positions. For

secu the correct position, the lever14 is provided wlth 'a'locking pin 16 provided ammeaple' gases, the following procedure is adopt be preferred pipe 2) and con-.

connection between the with a head 17 and a fspring-15L The other end of said pin 16' engages corresponding holes or depressions 18 m the body of the rotary valve, so that the correct position is secured in the difierent working sta es. The valve casing 7 is provided with or connecting the same between the ejector 1 and the discharge outlet 6. The three sectional views illustrate the valve casing in the same relative position as in Figs. 1 and 2,.

i. e., with the'ejector arranged at the left of anges 19 the valve. Position aof the valve is illustrated in Figs. 1 .and 4; position b is illustrated in Fig. 3, and position 0 is illustrated in Figs. 2-and 5.

he discharge of residues'is initiated by turning the valve into the position shown in. i

' Fig. 4, the steam passing throu' h the central passage 22 of the valve, an discharging .through outlet 6. If liquid residues arepresent in such quantity that they cannot be lifted to the height ofthe ejector, the valve is then turned through 3, and steam is directed into 2 to forciblye'ject theliquid therefrom and form a 'froth at the suction mouth iece 4.

The valve is then returned to the initlal posi: tion to reduce the pressure within pipe 2. A mixture of liquid and gases will be lifted by the suction and discharged from outlet 6 as indicated in Fig. 1. When the valve is turned Tinto the position shown in Fig. 5, the steam,-

liquid and gases leaving the e ector *1 .are diverted downwardly bythe curved wall 20 of the valve anddischarged through outlet 21 of the valve into the liquid separator or trap 8. The

,as shown in Fig. i the suction pipe liquid is retained within the trap or is returned to the suction pipe '2,"

while the gases and vapors pass outjthrouglt outletplpe 9, as shown in Fig. 2;

Letit be observed that the pipe 10 between vided with a stop cook 23. f l The container 8 can also be arranged laterally in relation ,to'

this arrangement may be limitingsense.

or the f said ejector for .obstructin the normal discharge ofstea'm 125 and gases om said ejector, where fthe steam {may be diverted y into.- the suction pipe.

the container 8 andthe suction pipe 2 which contains the atomizer 24 can,be' sultably prodeparting from the funda Y 120 pipe and steam ejector for r dlschargmglhquld from said tank, of valve means at t e outlet side 0 2. In apparatus forremoving liquids from a tank or theglike, suction pipe exteiidmg into said j a valve at the outlet side of said ejeetog' 'sad a steam injector having tank and the ejector, and that the term:

ollowing claims in a i valve having a port therein for placing the normal outlet ofsaid ejector into and out of communication with the atmosphere.

3. In apparatus for removing liquids from a tank or the like, a suction pipe extending into the tank, a steam ejector associated with said pipe and having a discharge outlet to the atmosphere, a liquid separator having an outlet for discharginggases' to the atmosphere, and Valve means for placing said ejector into communication with said discharge outlet or into communication with said liquid separator.

4. In apparatus for removing liquid residues from tanks or the like, a suction pipe extending to apoint adjacent the bottom of said tank, a steam ejector associated with said suction pipe, a liquid separator, and means at the outlet side of said'ejector for signatures.

controlling the operation of said apparatus, said means comprising a valve casing having an inlet opening connected to the outlet of said ejector, a discharge port opening to atmosphere, a second discharge port opening into said liquid separator, and a valve in sai valve casing, adapted to establish one of the three following conditions: a direct discharge of'the ejector gases toatmosphere through said first discharge port, a closing of the ejector outlet whereby the steam establishes a super-atmospheric pressure in said suction pipe, and a connection of the e]ector outlet to the liquid separator through said second discharge port.

In testimony whereof whereof, we aflix our 35 JAKOB uumm.

nuuc cumsnaan ENDERT, Junior. 

